Centrifugal separator.



E. H. FRENCH.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1910- 1,212,473.

nucnfoz Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

EdwTzrdEFreneZa A @H'omnu S 19i [Memes EDWARD HOUSTON FRENCH, 0F SMETHPORT, PENNSYLVANIAL CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 19317.

Application filed November 2 1910. Serial No. 590,324.

tain new and useful Improvement in Centrifugal Separators, of which the following is a specification.

In order to meet the market requirements of acetate of lime, it is important to produce a'product that contains from eighty to eighty-five per centum of acetate of lime and proportionate percentages of other acetates. To accomplish this result, in the present manufacture, it is necessary to re-distil the crude pyroligneous acid from the tars and oils dissolved therein. This re-distillation requires a large outlay of money for copper stills used in the distillation process and the continuous use of a large amount of heat which results in considerable loss of product because of a practical inability to volatilize the acid completely from the tar.

The object generally, of this invention is to obviate the redistillation of pyroligneous acid obtained by the destructive distillation of wood, and particularly to obtain a prod- I not which is sufliciently pure for direct conversion by neutralization with an appropriate base as, for example, lime, into gray acetate of lime and other acetates.

A further object is to increase the capacity of condensers.

The invention is embodied in the apparatus herein shown and described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a general view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line a2-x Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail on the line yy Fig. 2. Fig. 4- is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the centrifugal separator.

Referring to the drawing 6 designates the fractionating condenser placed in the vapor line adjacent the retort 5. The fractionating condenser has cold and hot water inlets 6 and 6 for regulating the temperature thereof. The fractionating condenser discharges by means of an elbow 7 into a chamber 8. Journaled in the upper end of the chamber 8 is a shaft 9 having secured to it through an auxiliary drum to be described a large or main drum 10 that tapers upward. The drum 10 has a bottom 11 provided with a central opening into which the open and discharging end of the elbow 7 projects said bottom rotating with said drum and around the said endof the elbow. The bottom of the drum immediately next the upright wall thereof is provided with a plurality of openings 12 of angular form, that is to say they extend first inward and downward toward the axis of motion of the bottgm and thence outward horizontally to the rim of the bottom where they discharge into the chamber 8.

Erected upon the bottom 10 and fixedly with it is the auxiliary drum 13 hereinbefore referred to, said drum having in its side a plurality of vertical slits or openings 14 provided with wire screens 15 of fine mesh. At the interior of the auxiliary drum these slits 14 are each parallelly flanked at the corresponding side by deflectors 13 adapted, when the drum is rotated-in the direction opposing them, to direct Vapors toward the openings 14 and through the screen. At the exterior of the auxiliary drum the slits 14 are each parallelly flanked at both sides by walls 16, 16, forming for the opening a sort of spout so as to bring the discharge near to the inner side of the main drum 10. Secured between each pair of said walls 16, 16, and beyond the screen is a plurality of horizontally extending slats 17 placed rather close together and inclined from their inner edges outwardly and downwardly as shown. The upper end of the auxiliary drum is closed by a solid head 18 fixed thereto and the driven shaft 9 is fixedly connected with this shaft so that both the main and auxiliary drum shall rotate together as one. The lower side of the elbow is provided with a bell trap 19 through which any condensate accumulating in the elbow 7 can escape into chamber 8 and thence to discharge 20. The lower end of the chamber 8 is provided with a discharge pipe 20 having several coils inclosed in a cooling chamber 21. The upper end of the chamber 8 is connected by means of a pipe with a "apor condenser 22 of usual or suitable construction. v

23 designates the discharge of the liquor of condensation, said discharge having a goose neck trap; and 24: is a vent for vapors not condensed.

From the foregoing description the operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. In practice the desired beyond the'chamber 8 and in the direction hereinbefore indicated.

The vapors are impelled by centrifugal action through the screened and slatted openings in the sides of the auxiliary drum against the solid ,walls of the main drum.

The effect of this operation is that tars and oils in such vapors accumulate upon the walls of the main drum 10 and trickle down to the small angular discharge holes 12 at the lower end thereof. Because the said holes in their inclined portions extend inward and the flow therein is in a direction contrary to that of the centrifugal force they are kept filled forming a liquid seal and thereby preventing the discharge of uncondensed vapors. The action of centrifugal force upon the'material in the horizontal parts of the holes draws upon the material in the inclined parts so that a discharge of the tars and oils is effected although the inclined parts are ordinarily kept filled during the operation. From the exterior of the bottom of the drum the tars and oils drop.

or flow to the bottom of the chamber 8 where they are trapped 03 and cooled. The up wardly tapering form of the main drum prevents a too/free flow of the vapors upward in that drum; hence time is gained for the efiicient extraction of the tars and oils. The uncondensed portions of the vapors containing the acetone, alcohol and acetic acid pass upward through the open end of the main drum and into the condenser 22 and from this the liquor of condensation passes into the goose neck discharge 23.

This application was divided, the divisional application having Serial No. 647,620 and filing date of September 5, 1911.

What I claim is:

1. In means for removing tars and oils from vapors obtained in the destructive distillation of wood, the combination of a rotary drum having. a vapor inlet and provided with an opening in its side, said opening having a screen device therein, a wing projecting from the inner side of said drum adjacent said opening to direct the tar and oil particles through the screen, and a drum open at its upper end surrounding said rotary drum against Which said particles are gathered.

' 2. In means for removing tars and oils y from vapors obtained in the destructiye distillation of wood, the combination of a rotary drum having a vapor inlet and provided with an opening in its side, said opening having a screen, a wing projecting from the inner side of said drum adjacent said opening to direct the tar and oil particles ward and open at its upper end surrounding said rotary drum against which said particles are gathered.

8. In means for removing tars and oils from vapors obtained in the destructive distillation of wood, a perforated rotary drum provided witha wing projecting from its inner side to direct the tar and oil particles through the perforations, downwardly and outwardly inclined slats beyond said perforations, and a surface against which said particles are gathered beyond said. drum.

EDWARD HOUSTON FRENCH.

Witnesses:

J. W. BoN'roN, HALLIE WALKER.

through the screen, and a drum tapering tov 

